THE "Endline Study on Nutrition and Socio-economic Components and the Monitoring and Evaluation of School Gardens" will build upon the insights gained from the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP), the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), and the School-Plus-Home Gardens Project.
The study was conducted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in the nine pilot schools of the School-plus-Home Gardens cum Biodiversity Enhancement Enterprise (SHGBEE) Project in Busuanga Island in Palawan province.
SEARCA said that the study also evaluates schoolchildren's nutritional conditions and dietary habits by comparing their nutritional status and dietary patterns before and after the intervention.
It said that the study also assesses the production of locally adapted vegetables through school gardening by examining the quantity and variety of crops grown and their contribution to nutritional security.
The study likewise measures changes in students' knowledge, attitudes and practices related to agriculture and nutrition, focusing on their understanding of gardening, nutrition and food production.
SEARCA said that simultaneously with the survey of schoolchildren, interviews were also conducted with their parents.
It said that these interviews gathered various information on household consumption and expenditure, including home and major asset ownership, household spending and consumption patterns, and weekly food expenses.
Parents were asked about significant household expenditures, engagement in home vegetable gardening, access to technical assistance for vegetable cultivation, and experiences related to food insecurity.
According to SEARCA, the survey further examined coping mechanisms through the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and the Reduced Coping Strategy Index, providing a comprehensive understanding of household food security and resilience.
Anna Gale Vallez, SEARCA Research and Thought Leadership Department program specialist, and Antonio Flores II, consultant and technical writer, led the monitoring and evaluation of school gardens across nine pilot schools in Busuanga and Coron, Palawan, with the assistance of Bryan Dale Gabo from the Department of Education office in Palawan.